Industry News

A fire at a high-rise block of flats in North Wales has been successfully extinguished thanks to an effective sprinkler system. North Wales Fire and Rescue Service crews were called to a report of a fire at Bolingbroke Heights, Flint at 1749, and appliances from Flint, Deeside, and Holywell were mobilized to the incident. Firefighters rescued a man in his 70s from a heavily smoke-logged flat within the building. He received a precautionary check for smoke inhalation at the scene. The fire was...

West Yorkshire Fire was first called to a fire at 1317 today, on the ground floor of the Speedibake building on Chald Lane in Wakefield. By 1550, 75% of the ground floor had become consumed by the fire. About 140 firefighters were at the scene from across the country and it is clear the fire service was stretched for available water using a nearby park lake to secure additional supplies for their efforts. There were no reported injuries. Fire Service Statement In a statement released at 1800,...

The firms, ranging from the architects Studio E, current and former staff at the main contractor Rydon, the TMO and Harley Facades, which are being investigated for their involvement in the Grenfell Tower Fire of 2017 that resulted in the death of 72 people, want a guarantee from Attorney General, Geoffrey Cox that they will be protected from prosecution when they give evidence, stated the latest Fire Industry Association (FIA) report in the inquiry matter. ‘Michael Mansfield QC, who is r...

Taking place at the Huntingdon Marriott Hotel in Huntingdon, UK on Thursday (January 23), 2020, the Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service Excellence Awards celebrated the achievements of staff from across different areas of the Fire Service. The commitment, dedication and professionalism of staff which regularly go above and beyond to provide the best possible service to the people of Cambridgeshire were all celebrated by around 140 guests. Hosting the event was Chief Fire Officer Chris Strick...

A cooking oil fire in the kitchen of Flat 41 of the 12 storey residential block of 71 flats owned by Birmingham city Council was extinguished by a single sprinkler head actuation within five minutes, probably nearer 40 seconds. This is BS 2951 installation with a pump in the 2nd floor tank room. Apart from some smoke and water damage, minimal damage was caused. Without the sprinkler this could have caused more serious damage to persons and/or property.

Following increased reports of unwanted alarms caused by e-cigarette vaping and the lack of clear information in the market place, The Fire Industry Association has now published Fact File 85, covering their use and possible effects on Fire Alarm Systems. This is free to download from the FIA website. ‘dual optical’ detectors In the recent case of The Frog & Frigate, in Southampton, where vaping is allowed, smoke detectors false alarms, caused by vaping were becoming a consider...

Want to know more about minimizing false alarms? Nittan Europe are pleased to announce that as an accredited CPD provider, the company can offer a CPD seminar on “Reducing unwanted False Fire Alarms with Multi-sensors” Users are all familiar with the many problems associated with false alarms: they are estimated to cost UK businesses around a billion pounds per year. Reducing false alarms is therefore a major task the fire industry has been attempting to address over the years and a...

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on Jan 20, 2020 launched a consultation seeking views on ‘how to assess and prioritize fire safety risks and how to better understand the complexity of building risk’ to ensure that an appropriate level of safety is achieved in existing buildings. Assessing fire safety of buildings MHCLG (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government) stated that they are commissioning research to develop an evidence base on fire saf...

Roadway operations bring great risks to emergency responders. The Emergency Responder Safety Institute (ERSI) reports that 44 responders were struck and killed while working on roadway incidents in 2019, and seven have been struck and killed in the first two weeks of 2020. To prevent future tragedies and enhance the safety of firefighters, EMS providers, and other responders, the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) has joined with national fire service organizations in issuing a survival mes...

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) announced that the state of Massachusetts’ recent update of the Massachusetts Electrical Code to contain the requirements of the 2020 edition of the National Electrical Code (NEC) (plus MA-specific amendments) represents the first state to implement the latest version of the code. The NEC continues to be the most widely used code in the built environment in the world, and sets the standard for safe electrical installation and inspection to pr...

Why do First Responders today largely rely on the voices of emergency dispatchers, especially when they step out of their ambulance, fire engine or patrol car? In every part of life, First Responders have access to real-time data at their fingertips, but once they put on their uniforms it seems like they go back in time and fly blind, depending on audio from a PSAP far removed from the action. RapidDeploy’s mission is to reduce emergency response times and increase responder safety by impr...

Each spring, the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) honors a volunteer firefighter who has provided a lifetime of service, a volunteer firefighter or EMS provider who has demonstrated leadership in the area of responder health and wellness, an outstanding junior firefighter, and an exemplary junior firefighter program. All recipients receive a personalized award and national recognition. NVFC Lifetime Achievement AwardThe NVFC Lifetime Achievement Award, sponsored by OnStar, recognizes a...

SSAIB, one of the licensed certification bodies who deliver BAFE scheme assessments, have achieved an historic milestone of 300 active BAFE scheme-certificated companies. In September 2019, BAFE registered A1 Fire and Security Ltd, who are the 300th active company on the BAFE Fire Safety Register that have been assessed and third-party certificated through SSAIB. They join the more than 1450 BAFE-registered companies who are third-party certificated, with over 1700 BAFE fire safety scheme certi...

Aico has launched the SmartLINK Gateway, the Ei1000G. This is a first in asset management and compliance, providing full visibility and remote whole system monitoring of Aico Fire and Carbon Monoxide alarm systems. Aico, an Ei Company, is pioneering the way in home life safety with new technologies and offering high quality alarms, developed and manufactured in Ireland. All Aico alarms meet UK standards and offer a variety of sensor types to guarantee protection for every home, the cornerstone...

Optimized according to the percentage of the aspirated product, the eductor’s viscosity, and the duration of the operation, there are several techniques for proportionally mixing various liquids. The simplest, least expensive, and most used by firefighters uses the Venturi effect. This effect is the consequence of a reduction in the flow section of the moving water which lowers the pressure until another liquid can be sucked in, then the premix passes through a regularly increased sectio...

MSA, DuPont, and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) provided 13 volunteer fire departments with needed personal protective equipment through MSA’s 2019 Globe Gear Giveaway. Each department received four sets of new, state-of-the-art turnout gear along with four helmets to better protect their members. This year marks over $1 million worth of gear that has been donated to volunteer fire departments in need since 2012. In total, 507 sets of turnout gear have been awarded to 108 depar...

CMC and Harken Industrial are proud to announce the launch of a new multi-purpose rope travel device, the CLUTCH. Now available in 13 mm and 11 mm models, this single wearable tool has been designed for efficient hauling, controlled lowering, smooth personal descent, easy ascending, and reliable progress capture. Single Wearable Tool The CLUTCH boasts an impressive range of benefits for those working in the Rescue, Rope Access, and Work at Height industries, including: Single wearable tool...

SELECT has launched an essential guide to help the public understand new regulations about smoke, fire and carbon monoxide alarms in Scotland. New alarm regulations Under the new laws, all homes in Scotland must have an effective interlinked warning system in place by 1 February 2021.To help comply with the new ruling, which came into effect in February 2019, SELECT has produced an eight-page brochure that gives clear step-by-step guidance on exactly what is required. Designed to be handed ou...

With more than 200 countries agreeing to usher in a new class of refrigerants, effective this year, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and its research affiliate, the Fire Protection Research Foundation (Research Foundation), have released free online training for the fire service, as well as an instructor-led training module to educate firefighters about the potential hazards associated with new refrigeration and cooling units. Calls for low GWP refrigerants The new accord calls...

The Building Safety Bill’s purpose is to implement and enhance regulatory regimes for building safety and construction projects. The bills also aims to give residents ‘a stronger voice in the system, ensuring their concerns are never ignored and they fully understand how they can contribute to maintaining safety in their buildings’. Building Safety Bill It will learn from the lessons of Grenfell Tower fire and will strengthen the whole regulatory system for building safety. T...

Pierce Manufacturing Inc., an Oshkosh Corporation company, has announced that it has further improved safety in the fire industry by collaborating with HAAS, Inc. d/b/a HAAS Alert to offer digital collision avoidance technology as a standard integration on Appleton-built custom chassis produced for domestic and Canadian municipal customers, and as an available aftermarket solution for apparatus currently in service. Safety Cloud solutions HAAS Alert’s Safety Cloud works by sending real-t...

Nearly one-third (29 percent) of U.S. home fires that begin with Christmas trees occurs in January. With this potential fire hazard in mind, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) strongly encourages everyone to remove Christmas trees from their homes promptly after the holiday season. “Christmas trees are combustible items that become increasingly flammable as they continue to dry out,” said Lorraine Carli, NFPA’s Vice President of Outreach and Advocacy. recycling p...

The Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP) welcomes the release of the report following the first phase of the Public Inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire, and will comment further once the findings have been examined in greater depth. It is well documented and understood that the major failing of the building was due to the cladding material, and the ASFP looks forward to phase 2 of the Public Inquiry when the circumstances that led to its inclusion in the building will be determine...

Dry fire sprinkler systems have been around for a long time and are used to protect unheated warehouses and structures, where freezing temperatures could cause the pipes in a wet pipe sprinkler system to burst. They are also increasingly being used in areas containing sensitive or very expensive contents due to the fears that leaking fire sprinkler pipes could cause. As the use of dry pipe systems has become more widespread, concerns regarding the impact of corrosion common in dry pipe systems...

Green Builder Media and NFPA announce the publication of a new e-book on wildfire mitigation, Enough is Enough. The follow-up to NFPA’s popular 2015 e-book, Design With Fire In Mind: Three Steps to a Safer New Home, Enough is Enough details what needs to be done to help prevent loss of property and lives to fire. Between the publications  of both e-books, wildfires have continued to make headline news across the country, including back-to-back record-setting wildfire seasons in Calif...

The arrival of winter and the festive season brings added fire and security risks at home and work. Chubb Fire & Security wants to help keep families, their homes and belongings safe and secure. Chubb is part of Carrier, a global provider of innovative heating, ventilating, air conditioning (HVAC), refrigeration, fire, security and building automation technologies. According to Fire & rescue incident statistics: England, year ending June 2019, there were 268 fire-related fatalities from...

With the acquisition of Drew Marine’s Fire Safety and Rescue (FSR) division, VIKING increases its global volume, reach and technical competencies for marine firefighting equipment services (MFS). VIKING Life-Saving Equipment - the global safety solutions and service provider, announced its acquisition of Drew Marine’s Fire Safety and Rescue (FSR) division this month. “Welcoming on board one of the top three marine fire service providers in the world, the acquisition is in alig...

The Electronic Security Association (ESA) is now accepting entries to its 2020 Youth Scholarship Program — a philanthropic endeavor that aims to support the futures of sons and daughters of first responders. The electronic security industry works intimately with the public safety sector. Police, firefighters, paramedics, and EMTs offer a vital service to our communities, in our shared goal of keeping people, places and property safe. To give back to this group that so positively impacts t...

The London Fire Commissioner, Dany Cotton, has announced she will be stepping down from her position at London Fire Brigade on 31 December. The Commissioner had previously announced in June that she intended to retire from the fire and rescue service in April 2020, but in consultation with City Hall it has been agreed that Dany will bring that forward to the end of this year to enable a timely handover to the next Commissioner, as the Brigade works to urgently deliver the recommendations of the...

A Cambridgeshire firefighter becomes the first female at March Fire Station to be the officer in charge of emergency incidents and qualified to drive a fire engine. Firefighter Vicky Vata was successful at the crew’s drill night on late November 2019 where she was assessed by officers from Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service’s training center. The qualification, known as ‘safe to ride’ means Vicky will ride a fire engine as the officer in charge of an incident, taking...